Restaurants cuisine d'Europe Tirana

One of the last popular offal restaurants in Tirana. It's located in the "bicycle district" (Tregu i Biçikletave), at the intersection of the street leading from the Pazari i Ri market. In the early hours of the morning, locals come here to eat soups made from offal and the less noble parts of beef or lamb. Don't worry: you can make yourself understood if you want to avoid pieces of brain or heart. Sprinkled with chilli and accompanied by a pilaf, it's really good, even for breakfast.

This popular traditional rotisserie(zgara) offers inexpensive grilled meats (lamb chops, sausages, pork, etc.) and fergëse (stews). It has two addresses in the lively Kavaja street. The one closest to Skanderbeg square (Zgara e Tironës by Le Noir) offers a slightly cold, fast-food atmosphere, close to the Tirana Backpacker Hostel. The second (Tek Zgara e Tironës), 250 m further along the same sidewalk, is our favorite, with its rustic decor, terrace and checked tablecloths.

This traditional restaurant is well placed for partying in the Blloku district, as there are several well-known bars nearby. The establishment is a piceri (pizzeria), but it offers a wide range of local specialties: soups, various fërgesa (simmered tomato and cheese dishes), meatballs in tomato sauce, pickled vegetables, salads, grilled meats... It's not haute cuisine, but it's a good introduction to local gastronomy. Another address is on rue Papa-Gjon-Pali-II, near the national stadium.

Located in a beautiful setting at the foot of Mount Dajti, this restaurant is named after its owner, Ceren Ismet Shehu, a renowned chef who offers traditional Albanian cuisine using natural farm produce. The set menu changes with the seasons, with plenty of starters, cheeses, desserts and a meat dish to choose from. It's fresh, hearty and the lamb is very good. It's such a success that Ceren has opened another restaurant of the same name in the center of town, at "Tirana Castle", but this one is disappointing.

This is the restaurant of the Hôtel Élysée, 80 m away on rue Themistokli-Gërmenji. It's not really a garden, but rather a shady courtyard with plants and a fountain, as well as a plainly decorated interior room. The welcome is friendly and there's even a very exotic French menu (mimosa eggs, filet mignon, pain perdu...). Otherwise, the menu features mainly Albanian and Italian specialties: meatballs with tomato, tavë dheu, fasule, various types of risottos and pasta. Suitable and reasonably priced.

The "Goût du Village" restaurant is located in a basement. And it's aptly named, since most of the vegetables come from the owner's hamlet, Mandi, near Petrela. But it's one of the few good, inexpensive restaurants around Skanderbeg square. On the menu: tavë kosi (the national dish, rice and lamb baked in the oven), fërgesë verore (vegetables and cheese baked in the oven)outavë dheu (the same thing but with calf's liver), Berat wines, craft beer from Pogradec (Birra e Gjyshit)... A good authentic restaurant.

In a small room nicely decorated with traditional costumes and objects, you will taste Albanian specialties from the Korça region. The dishes are copious and nicely presented, and we particularly recommend the village pie. The warm welcome adds to the charm of this address located in a very quiet area. The staff is very nice and the service is excellent. Beyond the dishes, it is especially for the atmosphere, the live music, the family environment and the general good mood that one comes here.

This traditional restaurant shares its name with the country's most famous establishment, in the Lezha region: Mrizi i Zanave ("The Shadow of the Fairies"), in reference to a collection of poems by Gjergj Fishta published in 1913. This restaurant is less well known, but still very good, with northern specialties such as flia (layers of pancakes with sour cheese), stewed dishes, Adriatic fish, kallmet wine (red grape variety), but also well-executed Italian recipes and desserts. A good address in a pleasant setting.

This is undoubtedly the best-known restaurant for tourists visiting the Albanian capital. It's true that it's a pleasant place, in the friendly Pazari i Ri district, with its pretty, shady courtyard and traditional ^19th-century Albanian house decor. It serves specialties from all over the country: tavë kosi, kukurec (skewered offal), harapash (polenta), baked lamb and more. The diners are often entertained by musicians. But the establishment is a victim of its own success, so book well in advance.

This restaurant, very popular with locals, is worth a visit for its atmosphere on summer evenings. Situated on a noisy street close to Boulevard Zhan d'Ark, just off the Tanneurs Bridge, it boasts a large, shady terrace where families flock at all hours of the day for a drink or a bite to eat. On certain evenings, a singer covering international classics adds to the popular atmosphere. When it comes to cuisine, there's a wide choice of pasta, pizza, Turkish and Greek dishes.